By Andreanna Ditton, Racing Junk:
Vic Edelbrock Jr., a legend in the aftermarket and automotive performance industry, has passed away at the age of 80. Edelbrock was part of an automotive dynasty, both as a legacy and as a pioneer. Following in his father Vic Edelbrock Sr’s footsteps, Edelbrock Jr took over Edelbrock at age 26 following his father’s death. He grew the Southern California company from a small 10-employee business to it’s current status as industry giant.
According to Autoweek, Edelbrock’s initial manifold for the small block Chevy kick started both an industry standard, and a long time relationship with Holley and the Holley carbs the manifold could be mated to.
In addition to innovative automotive performance products, Edelbrock Jr also lead the performance and racing industry through the era of emissions regulations in the 1970s.
From Hot Rod, “When it looked like the aftermarket was dying in the early 1970s with the environmental restrictions and pollution control components killing performance, Vic Jr. started marketing his induction systems as improving clean air and also performance. He built his own testing dyno to measure carbon emissions to prove his claims. Suddenly performance was recognized as helping to both clean the environment but also make for a more efficient running engine. Soon the smog-chocked engines available from Detroit were improved in every way with Edelbrock aftermarket components, launching the second coming of the performance industry.”
Edelbrock served as the president of SEMA from 1971 through 1974, helping the rest of the aftermarket following in Edelbrock’s footsteps to embrace the challenges of the changing face of the industry.
The message from the Edelbrock Facebook page reads, “It’s with deep sadness that we announce the untimely death of our visionary and leader Vic Edelbrock Jr. Vic passed away this evening from complications following a recent cold. His passing was peaceful and in the company of his closest friends and family. The Edelbrock Fun Team sends their deepest condolences to his family and will always hold him in our hearts.”
Our thoughts are with Vic Edelbrock Jr’s family, friends, and fans today.